Abia Govt Tackles Otti Over $200m AfDB Loan

Abia State government has described the Labour Party governorship candidate, Dr Alex Otti as mere petition writer, saying he is incapable of stopping the state from obtaining loan facility from a bank.

The commissioner for trade and investment, Chief John Okiyi Kalu stated this in Umuahia, the state capital in reaction to Otti’s claim that he stopped the state from receiving $200million loan from the African Development Bank (AfDB).

He faulted the claim by the 2015 and 2019 All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) governorship candidate in the state that the government presented falsified documents for the loan without following due process.

Kalu, who was the commissioner for information when the facility was denied explained that the loan was approved by the State House of Assembly, under Hon Uzor Azubuike, and the National Assembly.

He said the loan would have been channeled to infrastructure development under the Rural Access Mobility Project to execute a minimum of 10 to 20 kilometers roads in the 17 local government areas of the state.

Otti made the revelation in a media chart in Umuahia, adding that because they falsified the documents, he wanted to avoid a scenario where the loan would be collected and used for personal interest.

“I said no because they haven’t accounted for the federal allocations and all the money they had collected. They didn’t consult the state Assembly,” the former bank chief further explained.

He stated that the citizens must be aware that they are equal stakeholders in the state, based on that everyone should be concerned about what is happening in the government.